Draft control for heating apparatus



June 5., 1928.

G. E. TRAVIS DRAFT CONTROL FOR HEATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 17, 1923 INVENTOR.

520.5: Ira W's;

ATTORNEY.

ing means in Patented June '5, 1928.

UNITED STATES GEORGE E. TRAVIS, 0F HENRY, I LLINOIS.

DRAFT CONTROL FOR HEATING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 17, 1923. Serial No. 681,111.

This invention relates to heating apparatus, and pertains more particularly to the manner of controlling the draft in such apparatus. It pertains to a draft-regulate direct control of the smoke passage, or passage for the escape of the productsof combustion. a

The object of my invention is to admit air into the path of travel of the saidprodnets of combustion at a position pastwhich the products shall flow to the end that a better control of the heat may be made possible, and that the heat produced within the heating plant may be muchbetter conserved and made to perform in better manner than by the present methods of con trol; but this will beunder'stood in the description following, aided by the appended drawing forming part thereof which shows a preferred arrangement by which the obejects sought can be realized, but wherein desired changes may be made without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention and as may be considered to fall with in the scope of the appended claims.

Figure l isan elevation of a typical plant for heating purposes showing my, invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 shows ,a smoke-pi ein perspective in which a secondary.

vention. I I a Figure 3 shows in perspective apart of said smoke-pipe with parts broken away to better show the damper arrangement employed, and Figure 4: shows a damper in perspective as employed in the particular form of smokepipe shown.

Before entering upon a detailed desc'rip tion of the invention according to the drawing it may be stated that as differing from the common method of opening a checkdraft damper admitting air into the smokepipe to flow directly past the from the heating apparatus, whether furnace or other type of heater, I dispense with or make no' use of the said check-draft damper and provide an inlet for air into the path of flow of the products of combustion at the desired point and am therefore ableto set up an entirely different operation with attendant better results. l 1

Any type of heating device, with any type of fuel, ma be made beneficial in its operation, and t e results produced, through the end may I is an opening 5 ue and draft damper are installed according to my 1nsmoke outlet PATENT OFFICE.

use of my invention, but for purposes of illustration I have shown a common form of I hot air furnace designated at 1. The chimney or stack is represented at 2, and a connecting smokeipe shown at 3, while 3 denotes the o d or common form of checkdraft damper of which, however,.I donot make use, as stated, merely illustrating it herein to make my structure more clear as well as the results obtained.

Within the pipe 3 is an arched section of the desired length whose edges are suitably secured-to the pipe creating two passages A, B therein which passages may be of the same or unequal capacities as may be found to be best suited to a given heating plant. sage orflue A is larger than the passage or flue B.

The said passage or flue B is preferably at the bottom of the pipe 3 and is open at both ends, one being spaced from the flue of the chimney or stack 2, while the other lie a greater or the smoke outlet 2 of the furnace 1.

In the lower wall of the smoke-pipe 3 communicating with the flue B, and suspended in suitable manner from said pipe is ing an open lower end, in this instance, the

less distance from" a depending pipe-section 6 hav- Preferably, however, the main pas- V passage thereof communicating with said opening '5, said pipe-section being snugly fitted to said smoke-pipe so that all air'enteringthe same must pass into said fiue B.

A damper 7 is hinged at 8 to the inner wall-surface of the pipe ,3 within the flue B, being provided for closing the said opening 5 in one of its positions, while in another of its positions it openssaid flue to the passage of the pipe-section 6" but closes said flue between the opening 5 and the smoke-pipe 3 at the furnace end thereof. Said damper for the present purpose is in the form of a section of a cylinder, its convex side adapted ion tolie' 'closely'upon the lower wall of the flue B, while its edge is of suchcontourthat when raisedthe damper will closesaid'fluej of combustion to the passage of the products The described any other form as'is andin the present instance comprises a'rod I to close down upon the opening 5 by its own weight so that a fire may be built or added to, asthe case may be, the draft being then entirely through the furnace, and practically'the full area of the smokee pipe 3.

After the fire is well started and the furnace is giving off its heat the damper 7 is raised o1"opened to expose the said opening 5 and to at the same time close'thefiue B at the furnace end so that the draft is then whollythrough the pipe-section 6 and the flue B to thevchimney 2,"tl1e drafts at the front of the furnace all being kept closed in this position of'the said damper 7.

I have found th'atby the use of the method describ'ed muc'hbetter control of 'the'fire and the heat given off thereby is possible than by opening the common check-draft damper referred'to to let'the air out across the path of the products of combustion as they pass from the furnaceinto the smoke-pipe. The up-dra'ft through the pipe-section 6 has the effect of forcing air into the smoke-pipe?) and the chimney or stack automatically checkingthe draft through the fire without dampening itas occurs in the older meth- 0d wherein the fuel is held a partially dead smouldering mass. Instead ofthislatter result, by the use of mystructure'the bed of fire is keptin a bright condition, there being just enough leakage ofair around the front of the furnace, withall dampers closed as stated, to aid'incarrying'ofi all ofthe gases.

.In actual practice itiisvfound that the coals are reduced very slowly-to .a coke quite unusual'in a'furnace, and'but very slowly turning to ashes. It isbelieved to be clear'that by driving air across thesmoke outlet from the furnace and cutting off the free flow of the products of combustiomin the old Way, the fire must be prevented necessarily from properly fuctioning. On the other hand, the introduction of .air ,at a .point in the smoke passage between :the furnace outlet and the chimney with saidpassa-ge closed at the damper .3 the fire 'isnot leftito smoulder because of incomplete combustion. All of the gases are carried away while a bright glowing "bodyof coalsis held and 'theheat is retai-nedfor a-much longer periodof time.

.A somewhat similar result is found when us'ingthe smoke-pipe'3, fitted as shown, with an ordinary stove, this section taking the place of a section of the usual stove pipe.

"My invention contemplates using an opening at any point in the 'flow of the products of combustionand it is preferred to carry the draft through a-pipe-section such as 6, or its equivalent for, while the opening alone producesa beneficial effect, the added pipe extending as lowdown as 7 position, and it is not necessary to have a separate damper for the pipe-section 6 and the flue B.

As has already 'been stated "the flue B at the :bottom of the pipe 3, Figure '1, is terminateda distance froin the chimney or stack2. That is'to say,ithewall of'said-flue' two flues as A,

B is spaced some distance from the end of the said pipe 3 whereit enters the chimney.

In practice thisarrangement is found to produce better results 'inthat the air from the flue B and the gases in the said pipe 'cometogether and intermingle before passing into the chimney and therefore prevent-f ing eddying of the gases of dissimilar-temperatures entering separately into said chimney.

Iclaim: p '1. 'In combination, a fuel consuming'h-eating apparatus, and a pipe connected therewith, apart disposed longitudinally within said pipe'between the discharge end "thereof and'the said apparatus creating two separate passages within said smoke pipe "both communicating'with-the' outlet of said pipe and with "the heating apparatus, there being an opening in the smoke pipe oppositethe said part and communicating with one of :the passages, anda damper in'the passagehaving the opening, the same adapted "to separately control the passage and the said opening.

2. In combination, a "fuel consuming heating apparatus, and a horizontally directed smoke pipe connected therewith, a part disposed lo ngitudinally with the pipe between its discharge-end and said apparatus dividing the same into two separate passages both communicating withthe smokeoutlet and the said apparatus,there being an opening in the pipe opposite'the slaidpart, and i a damper controllingthe openingand-th-e flow of air therethrough and for controllin the flow of gases through the'passage with which'the opening communicates.

'3. In combination, a 'fuel'consumingheating apparatus, and a smoke pipe connected therewith, a 'part disposed longitudinally within the pipe between the discharge end thereof and said apparatus dividing said pipe into 'two separate passages open throughout, there being an opening in the wall of the pipe leading to one of the passages, and a damper dis osed in the passage having the opening a apted to close the same between the said opening and the end thereof nearestthe said apparatus.

4. In combination, a fuel consuming heating apparatus, and a smoke'pipe connected therewith, a part disposed longitudinally within the pipe dividing the same into two separate passages open throughout toward the discharge endof the pipe and toward the said apparatus, there being an opening in the wall of the pipe leading to one of the passages, and a damper disposed in the passage having the opening adapted to separately close said opening and the end of the passage nearest the apparatus.

5. In combination, a fuel consuming heating apparatus, and a smoke pipe connected therewith, a. part disposed longitudinally within the pipe dividing the same into two separate passages open throughout toward both the discharge end of the pipe and the heating apparatus, there being an opening in the wall of the pipe leading to one of the assages, a damper dis osed in the passage avin the opening a apted to separately closet e opening and the end of the passage nearest the apparatus, and a pipe depending from the smoke pipe with which the opening communicates.

6. In combination with a fuel consuming heating apparatus, a chimney and a smoke pipe connected with and between the two, a part disposed within the pipe between the chimney and said apparatus dividing the pipe into two separate passages open throughout, said part terminating at one end remote from the flue of said chimney, there being an opening in the wall of the pipe leading into one of the passages created by said part, and a damper in the passage having such opening adapted in one position of adjustment to close said opening and in another position adapted to expose said opening and close the last named passage at a point between said opening and said ap aratus.

n testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE E; TRAVIS. 

